Grande Villas Orlando Review – A Hilton Vacation Club Resort (2024)
Want to know what it’s like to stay at Grande Villas in Orlando?
During a recent getaway to Disney World, I stayed in a ton of timeshare resorts all over Orlando.
I wanted to get a feel of the pros and cons of each resort, it’s amenities, and it’s location in relation to everywhere I wanted to go.
This adventure began with a 2 night stay at Grande Villas, a Hilton Vacation Club Resort just outside of Disney Springs.
I stayed in a one bedroom and you can check out the full room tour in this video on our YouTube Channel!
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Grande Villas Review
Grande Villas is a timeshare property in Orlando, Florida that is owned by the Hilton Vacation Club.
A couple years ago another timeshare company, Diamond Resorts, was bought out by Hilton Grand Vacations.
All of those resorts are re-branded as the “Hilton Vacation Club”, which is slightly more affordable compared to the original “Hilton Grand Vacations” that you’re likely more familiar with.
As of now, Grande Villas is entirely re-branded to Hilton.
What’s great about this timeshare property, and many others, is that you don’t have to be a timeshare owner to stay here.
You can book a room here on any of your preferred booking platforms.
Click Here To Book Your Hilton Vacation Club Grande Villas Stay Today!
Room Types
Grande Villas has 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units.
The two bedroom units have a king bed in the bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room.
Two bedroom units have a king bed in one room, 2 twin beds in the second room, and a sofa bed in the living room.
Three bedroom units have 2 rooms with a king bed, 1 room with 2 twin beds, and a sofa bed in the living room.
Since I was staying by myself, I just stayed in the one bedroom.
One Bedroom
This layout was very interesting and really only works for couples or maybe a family with 1-2 smaller kids.
When you enter, you have an oval shaped room with the kitchen on one side and the dining table and sofa bed on the other side.
Then, through a sliding door way is the bedroom.
Through the bedroom is another door that leads into the bathroom.
So if someone is sleeping on the sofa bed, they have to go through the bedroom to get to the bathroom.
Kitchen
The kitchen has a full sized refrigerator and freezer, an oven, a microwave, and a full sized sink.
Other amenities include a coffee maker, toaster, and a variety of dishes, utensils, pots, pans, etc.
There is a small closet with a trash can and some cleaning supplies.
One thing that this kitchen does not have is a dishwasher, so you’ll have to hand wash any of the dishes you use.
Bedroom
The bedroom is pretty small, but the King bed is great.
There is a small balcony that is enclosed to protect from bugs, bees, snakes, and any other animal that can get up into the balcony.
The closet is a decent size, but I never really use them for anything so I can’t really say how functional it is.
Bathroom
I LOVED this bathroom.
The tile floor was nice and there is another closet in the bathroom that has towels for the pool and a laundry basket.
There is a jacuzzi tub in the center of the bathroom with a ton of ledge space around the outside.
The shower is pretty average and there is a separate smaller room in the bathroom where the toilet is.
Room Pricing
If I look up room prices right now, this is what I see when booking as a paying customer (as opposed to a timeshare owner):
- 1 Bedroom = $146 per night + $20 nightly resort charge + tax
- 2 Bedroom = $215 per night + $20 nightly resort charge + tax
- 3 Bedroom = $283 per night + $20 nightly resort charge + tax
Now this is for a week night in the Summer, so prices will likely be higher on weekend nights and during Orlando’s peak travel seasons like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and other holidays.
If you think about the cost of your typical hotel room in Orlando, you’re likely paying at least this much, if not more.
So you’re getting way more for your money here by having all the extra amenities and space!
Click Here To Book Your Hilton Vacation Club Grande Villas Stay Today!
Using Timeshare Points For Your Stay
For timeshare owners, the number of points that this resort costs differs an insane amount.
I personally only book my timeshare stays less than 60 days out and only if they are discounted so that I can actually get my money’s worth.
For this stay, I used 800 points for 2 nights in May on a Wednesday and Thursday night.
I purchased my timeshare through Diamond Resorts back in 2020, so my point still operates under that system.
If you have HGV Max or you’re using a timeshare exchange like Interval or RCI, the point conversion is going to be completely different.
For me though, the equivalent of 800 points is $418 for the stay.
This comes out to $209 per night.
One of the biggest complaints that timeshare owners have is that it’s almost always cheaper to book the resort as a regular cash paying visitor than it is to use points.
In my case this was proven to be true because with the added fees and taxes, a 1 night stay is about $165 a night and my stay was $209 per night.
Now, if I factor in the dollar value of the freebies and other perks my timeshare has given me over the years for being an owner and calculate my buy in cost versus the number of points I spent, my price per night is actually $158 per night.
So when all factors are considered, owners have a slight edge if they use their points wisely.
Resort Amenities
I spent one evening down at the pool where I enjoyed the hot tub and the grab and go restaurant on site.
For dinner I tried their panini with turkey, tomato, basil, and mozzarella for only $9.99.
It was very good and very filling.
The restaurant is called Orlando Pizza & Deli and has a mix of a convenience store, souvenir shop, and quick service food counter with a pretty decent sized menu.
They even serve Starbucks coffee!
Then on the outside is a full bar.
There are a ton of chairs and tables on and off the pool deck or you can always take your food back to the room with you if you prefer.
Other entertainment includes a mini golf course, grills, and a special events schedule on property.
Grande Villas also has a fitness center and offers free parking.
There are elevators in each building and luggage carts at each building.
Overall Experience
Overall, Grand Villas was a great place to start off my two week long trip in Orlando.
It is literally right outside of the Disney Springs Resort Area, so it’s so easy to get to anywhere around Disney World.
The room layout was weird, but I actually prefer hotels with quirks and character.
The tub was my favorite feature in the room and I enjoyed the convenience of only being a 5-10 minute drive from everywhere I wanted to go.
I didn’t have neighbors during my stay, so it was quiet.
My room was facing out toward the parking lot and beyond the property, so it was also quieter than it probably is overlooking the pool.
Click Here To Book Your Hilton Vacation Club Grande Villas Stay Today!
Our Favorite Hilton Vacation Club Resorts In The US
We’ve been timeshare owners for several years now and we’re on a mission to stay at every property at least once.
Diamond Resorts was recently purchased by Hilton Grand Vacations, but the resorts will really only change in management name only – except for Marquis Villas Resort in Palm Springs, which has permanently closed.
These are our favorites so far.
Cypress Pointe – Orlando
Cypress Pointe is another Hilton resort and it is actually right across the street from the Grande Villas resort!
The studio rooms here are unique in that they are more like a honeymoon suite and they are so affordable considering they are right outside of Disney Springs.
Grand Beach – Orlando
Grand Beach looks like the Grand Floridian, but it’s not.
It’s located about 10 minutes from Disney Springs and it’s a quiet resort.
They are super affordable and have 2 pools you can enjoy.
Aqua Sol – Orlando
Aqua Sol, formerly Liki Tiki Village, is the most resort style timeshare we’ve ever stayed in.
They have their own water park, mini golf course, and tons of other resort amenities.
Newly renovated and so cheap, it’s a favorite for Orlando visits.
Ka’anapali Beach Club – Maui
Ka’anapali Beach Club is located on Maui and is one of the most coveted of all of Diamond’s properties.
It’s in a great location, just down the road from Lahaina.
Plus, we enjoyed having the full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, and our beautiful ocean view.
Polo Towers – Las Vegas, Nevada
Polo Towers is right on the Las Vegas Strip, across from The Cosmopolitan.
We love the central location of this resort, as well as having a full kitchen because most Vegas hotels today have their fridge full of drinks that have insane mark ups, making them un-useable for yourself.
We’ve stayed in a variety of room types here over the years including a Two Bedroom, Studio Efficiency, and 1 Bedroom Accessible Room.
Historic Powhatan Resort – Williamsburg, Virginia
We absolutely loved staying at this resort in Williamsburg.
It was one of our more affordable timeshare visits and the unit had everything we needed.
We had just a One Bedroom, but it was 3 stories and set up like a townhome.
The first floor was the entrance, the second floor had a kitchen, dining room, full bathroom, bedroom with en-suite bathroom, and laundry.
Then the top floor was like a converted loft or attic with a tv, couch, and coffee table.
Varsity Clubs of America – Tucson, Arizona
This resort is the only place we stay in Tucson and we drive through here A LOT on our frequent road trips.
If you book with 30 days of your visit it’s pretty cheap.
We love the pool and hot tub here because it usually stays warm enough in the evenings to enjoy both.
It’s a quieter, no frills place and it’s right in the middle of town, centrally located to everything in Tucson.
The One Bedroom units are perfect with their full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, and dining table.
Varsity Clubs of America South Bend – Indiana
South Bend is famously known as the home of the University of Notre Dame.
Varsity Clubs of America is a great, inexpensive place to stay when you’re visiting the area.
It also makes for a great home base for day trips to places like Indiana Dunes National Park and Chicago.
Sunrise Ridge Resort – Pigeon Forge
Sunrise Ridge is a rustic resort near all of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg’s best attractions.
It’s tucked away outside of town with mountain views all around though.
Palm Canyon Resort – Palm Springs, California
Palm Canyon Resort is the premiere timeshare resort in Palm Springs.
We love staying here for fun stay-cations every so often because it’s always discounted within 30-60 days or less of travel.
They have a great pool with a hot tub and water slides built into the rocks.
The Suites at Fall Creek – Branson, Missouri
Last but not least, we love Diamond’s resort in Branson.
It’s set back along a creek, hence the name, so it’s a quite woodsy experience just outside of town.
It’s still close enough to everything too.
What we loved about this room was the counter space in the kitchen, the screened in porch, and the open layout of the room.
The One Bedroom layout here could easily be the equivalent of a real one bedroom apartment.
San Luis Bay Inn – Avila Beach, CA
San Luis Bay Inn is situated just above Avila Beach on a hill top along the central coast of California.
It’s in walking distance to this quiet beach town and it’s boardwalk of shops and restaurants.
Riviera Beach & Shores Resort – Capistrano Beach, CA
Riviera Beach & Shores Resort is an oceanfront property near the southern tip of Orange County, California.
It’s in a quiet area of the beach with hardly anybody else around.
We like coming down here for a few days at a time to enjoy the views and the peace and quiet.
Riviera Oaks Resort & Racquet Club – near San Diego
Riviera Oaks is a quiet resort in the town of Ramona, just outside of San Diego.
It’s a perfect getaway for wine tasting in Ramona or visiting the historic gold rush town of Julian.
Bell Rock Inn – Sedona, Arizona
Bell Rock Inn is a timeshare resort just South of the city center of Sedona.
It’s an older, smaller property, but it’s the most effective use of timeshare points.
Our stay was the equivalent of only about $65 a night!
The Wrap-Up: Hilton Vacation Club Grande Villas Review
Click Here To Book Your Hilton Vacation Club Grande Villas Stay Today!
